At some point in time, my wife and I would like to upgrade from our existing Hunter 285. As I look on Yachtworld at Hunter 356's that were built during 2002 and 2003, I noticed that all of the winches are mounted on the cabintop.

With this type of setup, if single-handling, how do you steer the boat and adjust / tack the boat if the winches are mounted at the front of the cockpit??

Was this a mistake by Hunter in the design of the boat, or am I just supposed to have 8 foot arms?

I've looked at pictures of the coamings and there appears to be no space to add a winch. I wish I could figure out how to post a picture here.... I'll respond back once I am able to get one added.

I noticed that the 356's during these years are significantly less expensive than the comprable boats from 2004 that have the winches mounted nearer the stern. I imagine this may be a primary factor in the cheaper prices???

I have a friend that has a Hunter 356 with the winches on the cabintop presently cruising inthe Bahamas. He singlehanded frequently and has no problem tacking the headsail. Don't let that deter you, you'll get the hang of it. Those boats are very comfortable inside in the salon. Great cushions!

If you really want winches near the help you should look at the previous model - the 35.5, or the newer 36, which came in 2005 or so. The 35.5 is a more 'traditional' boat than the 356. Most (all?) 356's have in mast furlers, the arch with traveler above, no backstay, and small headsails. The newer 36 model also has the arch, most are in mast furlers for the main but I have seen a number of traditional mainsails as well.

Not much space for winches around that 'hot tub' cockpit, is there? IMO that series of Hunters missed the mark. Like Barry I much prefer the Legend series that preceded it.. 35.5/37.5 in particular. Non B&R rigs, traditional good looks, decent interiors. Depending on your area the one knock on them might be lack of a deep draft keel option.

As a Hunter 356 owner, I have agree. I don't single-hand much so it's not a problem on our boat. The layout of the 356 lets the helm focus on steering while the crew takes care of the jib work. When I have single-handed I have to use the tack function on the autopilot. It works well enough.

The Hunter 36 moved the jib winches aft with a redesign of the cockpit combing. If single-handing is a main concern I'd consider the 36 or another model/boat.

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